49ers Wrap Up Conference Play
NCAA Selection Show on Sunday
May 11, 2005 PDF VERSION of this RELEASE
36-14, 16-2 Big West
ESPN/USA Softball Rank: RV NFCA Rank: 24
2005 BIG WEST CHAMPIONS
Quickly:
The No. 24-ranked Long Beach State softball team (36-14, 16-2) travels to UC Riverside for its final conference series of the season, May 13-14...Long Beach State wrapped up its second consecutive Big West Conference crown on Sunday, May 8 after its 2-1 win vs. UC Santa Barbara...Oli Keohohou was named the Big West Conference Player of the Week, while Meredith Cervenka was named Co-Pitcher of the Week, as announced on Monday...The 49ers remained at No. 24 in the NFCA Top 25 poll released May 11...The 49er Softball Booster Club is inviting fans to gather at Cirivello's Sport Stop at 4115 N. Viking Way in Long Beach (a half block west of Bellflower Blvd north of Carson St.) for the live announcement of the Division I Softball regional match-ups and site selections on Sunday, May 15th. The live broadcast will be aired from 4:30 pm to 5:00 pm on ESPNEWS.
49ers Ranked in NFCA Top 25:
Long Beach State made its return to the NFCA Top 25 Poll on Wednesday, Apr. 27, at No. 25, and remained at No. 24 for a second-consecutive week (May 11). LBSU collected "5" Receiving Votes in the ESPN/USA Softball Top 25 this week as well.
The Conference Rules:
Long Beach State has posted a 51-8 mark in conference play since 2003.
Home Run Derby:
The 49ers eclipsed last year's team home run record (29) with its 31st home run of the season at Cal Poly on May 1. LBSU has 35 home runs on the season as of May 9.
RBI Record: The 49ers broke the single-season school record for RBI (210) after its three-game series vs. UC Santa Barbara, May 7-8.
Niners Versus The Top-25:
Long Beach State is 4-8 vs. ranked teams this season. Meredith Cervenka has posted a 3-3 record vs. Top-25 teams with a 2.10 ERA and 49 strikeouts, while Tiffanie Wedell has hit for a .333 average (12 hits) and three runs. Kourtnee Gervasi is also batting .529 (9-for-17) with two doubles vs. ranked opponents.
Manarino = 800:
Long Beach State softball head coach, Pete Manarino, collected his 800th career victory after Long Beach State defeated conference rival, CS Northridge, 5-0 on Apr. 16 at the 49er Softball Complex. Manarino is in his 22nd year at the helm, and he has guided the 49ers to a 36-14 record this season. Manarino became head coach at Long Beach State in 1984. Since 1996, Long Beach State has won five conference titles, and has appeared in seven NCAA Regionals (15 overall). This year will be the eighth NCAA Regional since 1996 and 16th overall. Manarino has also earned Big West Coach of the Year honors five times, including 2003 and 2004. Manarino has compiled an 809-484 record at LBSU.
LJ's Leadership:
Lauren Johnson is Long Beach State's all-time leader in career home runs (22)...LJ broke the record when she belted her seventh of the season at Utah State (G1) on Apr. 2... She is the program's all-time leader in career runs scored (117)...She broke the school record on Apr. 20 in the CS Fullerton series...Johnson is one home run shy of tying the single-season school record for home runs (13, Jessica Smith)...She was named the Big West Conference Co-Player of the Week on Feb. 15 after she hit .400 and belted three home runs at the Stanford Invitational Feb. 11-13...Lauren has had at least one or more home runs in five of the six conference series played this season...Lauren is hitting .379 in conference play...She has 38 runs and 12 home runs this season...Ranks No. 2 in the Big West in HR and No. 3 in runs scored.
No Soft-Cerv:
Meredith Cervenka (2004 Big West Co-Pitcher of the Year) was selected to the 2005 USA Softball Pre-Season Player of the Year "Watch List" in January...On Mar. 25 Cervenka broke an 11-year old school record with her 66th career victory in the circle...Meredith has a school-record 77 career wins...Broke the school single-season record with her 170th strikeout at Cal Poly on May 1 (She has 183 on the season)...She has recorded 20 or more wins for the third time in her career after her 20th victory at Cal Poly on May 1...Has 35 career shutouts, No. 3 all-time at The Beach...Owns the school record for career strikeouts (626)...Meredith pitched her best game of the season and out-lasted All-American and 2004 Gold Medalist, Cat Osterman, in the 1-0 victory over No. 3-ranked Texas on Feb. 26 in the Palm Springs Classic...Cervenka struckout a season-high nine Longhorns and only gave up two hits in the process (one hit in the fourth inning and one in the fifth inning)...It was also her 60th career-win...For the tournament, Meredith posted an 0.82 ERA with 17 strikeouts in 17.0 innings pitched...For her efforts, Meredith was named the Big West Conference Pitcher of the Week for the period ending Mar. 1...Cervenka recorded career strikeout No. 500 vs. Washington on Mar. 6 (she finished with a season-high 12 strikeouts vs. the Huskies)...The 12 strikeouts were one shy of her own school record 13 in a single game...Cervenka joined Diane Lewis and Stacy Van Essen as the only other players to throw 12 strikeouts in one game...Meredith earned her second Big West Conference Pitcher of the Week award on Mar. 15 after she collected a 3-0 record and a 0.00 ERA at the 2005 Long Beach State Invitational (Mar. 11-13)...Named Big West Co-Pitcher of the Week on May 9 after recording a 2-0 record and a 0.44 ERA vs. UC Santa Barbara (May 7-8)...Cervenka ranks first in the Big West in ERA (1.41), No. 1 in wins (22), and No. 2 in strikeouts (183).
That's Hot:
Marcel Torres (2004 Big West Co-Pitcher of the Year) has been both productive in the circle and the plate in 2005...Marcel leads the team with a .325 batting average and has compiled a 1.50 ERA (No. 2 Big West)...Marcel posted a .545 batting average (6-for-11) with two home runs, three runs scored, and a a double in the three-game sweep of Utah State (Apr. 2-3)...Marcel also went 1-0 in the circle, pitching a three-hit shutout with seven strikeouts in G2 vs. USU (4/2)...Marcel went 2-for-3 with a home run in G2 vs. USU (4/2), and 3-for-4 with five RBI in G3 on Apr. 3...Her five RBI tied for third most in a single game in school history...Torres was named as the Big West Conference Co-Pitcher of the Week, as announced on Apr. 18...She helped Long Beach State complete a three-game sweep of conference rival, CS Northridge, by compiling a 1-0 record with a save and a 0.00 ERA (Apr. 16-17)...She was also effective at the plate, posting a .500 batting average with two home runs, five RBI, and two runs scored in the three-game series...She earned her second consecutive Pitcher of the Week award after posting a 2-0 record and a 0.00 ERA in the CS Fullerton series (Apr. 19-20)...For the week, Torres allowed just two hits, two walks, and 11 strikeouts in 10 innings of work... Torres is 14-6 on the season in the circle with a 1.50 ERA and 125 strikeouts.
Walk this Way:
Oli Keohohou was named the Big West Player of the Week after she posted a .500 batting average with two home runs, three RBI, and five runs scored in Long Beach State's three-game series sweep of UC Santa Barbara last weekend...Keohohou was the key spark in the 2-1 win over the Gauchos on Sunday when her solo home run in the fourth inning tied the game at 1-1, and her RBI single in the bottom of the ninth with the bases loaded provided the game-winning run and the 2-1 LBSU victory...The victory also gave Long Beach State the outright Big West Conference title...Since joining the 49ers for the conference opener at Utah State, Keohohou has been walked a team-high 25 times (No. 2 in the Big West)... Oli hit .636 (7-for-11) with two home runs, five runs scored, and six RBI in Long Beach State's series sweep over Utah State (Apr. 2-3)...Oli hit her first career home run as a 49er in G1 of the series and finished 3-for-4 with four RBI. She went 3-for-4 with two runs scored in G3 on Apr. 3...Keohohou has hit for a .368 batting average in 18 games played.
McNice:
Junior Melanie McCauley has provided solid numbers at the plate this season...She was the hero in the 1-0 victory over No. 3 Texas, as she hit the game-winning RBI in the eighth inning...Melanie helped generate two runs in LBSU's 9-1 win over Illinois-Chicago at the UNLV Classic on Mar. 4 when she connected for a two-run double in the first inning...Melanie went 2-for-4 with an RBI in the 4-0 win over LMU on Mar. 12...She scored two runs and connected for a double in the 3-game sweep of Utah State (Apr. 2-3)...Melanie hit .333 with four RBI in the Pacific series (Apr. 9-10)...Melanie went 2-for-3 with three RBI and a run scored on G1 vs. the Tigers on Apr. 9...Melanie hit .400 with a pair of RBI in the Cal Poly series (Apr. 30-May 1)...McCauley hit .300 with a pair of RBI in the UCSB series (May 7-8)...McCauley is hitting .227 with eight doubles and 22 RBI this season.
Fresh Start:
The 2005 Long Beach State softball roster features eight newcomers, seven of which are freshman. Lacy Tyler scored the game-winning run in the 1-0 win upset over No. 3-ranked Texas on Feb. 26...Tyler hit .400 with a pair of runs in the three-game series vs. Utah State (Apr. 2-3)...Lacy was named the Big West Conference Player of the Week after posting a .556 batting average with three home runs, eight RBI, and four runs scored in the Pacific series (Apr. 9-10)...Lacy belted a three-run HR in G3 vs. the Tigers and hit a grand slam in G1 of the series (Apr. 9)...Kristen Miller is hitting .255 (24 Games Played) with three doubles, six runs, and five RBI this season...Miller shined in the season-opener, going 3-for-3 with three runs and four RBI in the 13-2 rout over UC Riverside (2/4)...Brooke LeSage produced a .375 batting average (3-for-8) with three runs scored, and went 2-for-3 with a run at the Stanford Invitational Feb. 11-13...LeSage connected for a .444 batting average in the three-game series at Utah State (Apr. 2-3)...She went 2-for-3 with a pair of runs scored in G1 vs. USU (4/2)...LeSage compiled a .500 batting average in the CS Northridge series (Apr. 16-17), with two runs and a double...She scored the game-winning run in G1 vs. CSUN on Apr. 16...Jessica Beaver scored three runs at the Aztec Invitational, and hit the game-winning RBI in the bottom of the ninth inning in LBSU's 4-3 win over DePaul (2/11). ..Jessica hit her first career home run (solo) in the 5-0 win over Indiana on Mar. 13...Jessica posted a team-best .667 batting average in the three-game series vs. UC Davis (Mar. 25-26). Beaver also scored three runs, connected for a double, and drove in one. Jessica hit a team-best .571 with two doubles and two RBI in the UC Santa Barbara series (May 7-8)...Jonae Perez proved to be a bright spot for the 49ers in the Kia Classic (Mar. 16-20) when she hit a team-best .385 with three doubles, three RBI, and a run scored...Jonae kept her hot bat in the UC Davis series (Mar. 25-26) by posting a .571 batting average and scoring three runs...Jonae connected for a .700 batting average (7-for-10) in the CS Northridge series (Apr. 16-17), including a 4-for-4 performance in G3 (Apr. 17)...She hit her first career HR at Cal Poly on May 1.
Wedell's Way/Pass the Gervas-sier:
Tiffanie Wedell hit .313 at the Kia Classic (Mar. 16-20) with five hits, an RBI and a run scored... She hit .273 in the UC Davis series (Mar. 25-26) with two runs and an RBI...Tiffanie hit .417 with three runs scored and two RBI in the three-game series at Utah State (Apr. 2-3)...Tiffanie went 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored in G1 vs. USU (4/2)...Tiffanie scored two runs in the Pacific series (Apr. 9-10)...Tiffanie posted a .375 batting average in the CS Northridge series (Apr. 16-17). Wedell is hitting .299 this season with two triples and 23 runs scored. Meanwhile Kourtnee Gervasi has patrolled the outfield with a 1.000 fielding percentage (27 put outs) to go along with a .247 batting average...Kourtnee went yard twice in the CS Fullerton series (Apr. 19-20) with four RBI.
It's How you Finish:
Long Beach State has outscored its opponents a combined 87-34 in the fifth thru seventh innings (also a nine inning game) this season. The 49ers have scored 19 runs in the seventh inning alone, and 47 runs in the third inning. LBSU has out-scored its opponents 27-8 in the first inning.
49ers Picked to Repeat -- And It was True:
Long Beach State was picked to repeat as Big West Champions, according to the Big West Coaches Pre-Season Poll released in January. The prediction held true after LBSU defeated UC Santa Barbara, 2-1 on May 8 to claim the outright title. |
